Tagged: willy wonka
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
(Cover picture courtesy of Tumblr.)
Now that he’s won the chocolate factory, what’s next for Charlie? Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket’s back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’s first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, inter-galactic joyride.
Only Roald Dahl could write a book like this and pull it off so well. It’s hilarious and over-the-top, but also has some nice messages for kids at the end because Charlie Bucket is a great character. Willy Wonka himself is most definitely a memorable character; you can never forget the eccentric chocolate factory owner, even if you try.
My fourth grade teacher read this book aloud to my class and I never, ever forgot it. The Vermicious Knids, Miss Tibbs, Grandpa Joe, the Oompa-Loompas…how could anyone ever forget creatures and characters like that? Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator has an interesting plot and fantastic world-building on Roald Dahl’s part. I have no idea where he came up with half of this stuff, but I can say that everyone who reads his books will appreciate his creativity.
This is one of those books I re-read about once every year and I find something new to enjoy about it every single time! It’s a classic that will never really be outdated and because of that, it’s a great book to pass on to your kids. The writing style is simple enough for younger kids to understand, but it doesn’t feel as if Roald Dahl is talking down to you, even for older readers.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
(Cover picture courtesy of What’s new @ CDPL?)
Charlie Bucket’s wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka’s precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him!
This is no doubt a classic children’s novel and both of the movie adaptations (the first one starring Gene Wilder and the awful modern one starring Johnny Depp) hardly do it justice. They don’t capture how creative the songs of the Oompa-Loompas were, the story of the chocolate factory and Willy Wonka or the hilarious caricature personalities of the children and adults.
What sets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory apart from many children’s novels is that Roald Dahl didn’t talk down to his readers. There are a lot of things children will catch onto, but there are also a lot of elements adults reading the novel will enjoy as well. How do I know? Because I read it aloud to my little sister as part of my plan to get her to love reading. She didn’t catch all of the subtleties of Roald Dahl’s writing, but we both had a good time, which is the mark of an excellent children’s book.
Charlie Bucket is an excellent character for children. He’s sympathetic and is truly good at heart, in stark contrast to the other children who win the golden tickets. The adventures he and his grandfather go on are fantastic and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is a very vivid world, brought to life by Quentin Blake’s wonderful illustrations (at least, in my edition) and Roald Dahl’s incomparable writing.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a popular children’s novel for a reason and I believe it will stand the test of time to go down as one of the greatest children’s novels of all time.
I give this book 5/5 stars.